‘Twenty Years Gone in Hours’: Surat Traders Sell Goods for Rs.50 After Devastating Flood

SURAT: The floodwaters have finally receded, but for hundreds of traders at Shyamdham Chowk in Seemada, the nightmare is only beginning. Their shops may have reopened, but the dreams they built over decades now lie buried under mud, soaked inventory and mounting debt. In a desperate attempt to recover even a fraction of their losses, traders have been forced to sell products worth ₹500 for just ₹50, while some are giving away damaged goods almost free.

The bustling commercial hub, which was submerged after creek waters inundated the area, has turned into a scene of despair. Shopkeepers are pumping out dirty water, cleaning mud-filled godowns and staring helplessly at ruined stock accumulated over years of hard work.

For Bhaveshbhai, owner of Maruti Trading Company, the disaster wiped out nearly ₹20 lakh worth of goods.“The water rushed in between 7 am and 11 am so quickly that we couldn’t save anything. Twenty to twenty-five years of hard work disappeared in a few hours. We have been pushed back by five years, both financially and mentally,” he said, struggling to hold back tears.

He alleged that the scale of flooding pointed to administrative failure rather than just heavy rainfall, claiming neighbouring areas were less affected while Seemada remained underwater for hours.

The devastation is visible across the market. Praveenbhai, another trader, said every item inside his shop had been destroyed.

“Everything has failed. Nothing is left. We don’t even know how we will arrange fresh stock,” he said.

Women entrepreneurs have also been hit hard. Jigyaben, who has been running Ramnath Shop for a decade, said she and her family spent the entire night trying to drain water from their premises.

“Goods worth ₹500 or ₹600 are now being sold for just ₹50 because we need some money to survive. We appeal to the government to understand our pain and provide immediate assistance,” she said.

At Shayona Handloom and Handicraft, owner Bhauti Gondalia estimated losses of ₹35-40 lakh, with nearly 90% of the showroom’s inventory destroyed.

Despite the tragedy, customers have shown compassion by purchasing damaged goods at discounted prices to support local businesses.

Many traders complained that this flooding is not new and blamed poor drainage and repeated administrative failures. They alleged that while officials arrived to clear garbage, affected shopkeepers were left to remove debris, clean their premises and salvage whatever remained on their own.